It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone knows what a sailboat is, but what’s a panga boat?
The small, multi-engine craft gets its name from the panga fish, the typical catch of fishermen who live in developing countries. But the scaly sea dwellers aren’t the only things being transported by the boats.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is currently asking the public “to be on the lookout” for Mexican smuggling boats that have recently been spotted off the Santa Barbara coastline.
On Aug. 31, a panga boat was discovered abandoned off the Gaviota coast. Though the boat was empty, Sheriff’s Department officials are saying there was evidence it was used for illicit narcotics trafficking.
According to a press release from the department, the 30-foot boat has been towed by the U.S. Coast Guard and stored as evidence. “Although relatively small in size, panga boats are considered very seaworthy and have made illegal runs from Mexico to as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area,” the press release said.
Suspicious boats can be reported by calling the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) toll-free 24-hour tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.
This article appears in Sep 8-15, 2011.
